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The Birmingham School of Elocution
Teaching the Art and Science of Speech since 1993
Principal: Dr Robin Wooldridge MA BSc FRSA FVCM LVCM(TD) LVCMEd
Member International Society of Phonetic Sciences
Member Societas Linguistica Europaea
Member International Society for the Linguistics of English
Rules for Good Speech
In an essay by William Enfield published in 1808, the rules for good speech were clearly listed:
- Let your articulation be distinct and deliberate.
- Let your pronunciation be bold and forcible.
- Acquire compass and variety in the height of your voice.
- Pronounce your words with propriety and elegance.
- Pronounce every word consisting of more than one syllable with its proper ACCENT.
- In every sentence, distinguish the more significant words by a natural, forcible, and varied EMPHASIS.
- Acquire a just variety of Pause and Inflection.
- Accompany the emotions and passions, which your words. express, by correspondent tones, looks and gestures.
They remain as important today.
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